Samoa has no single system labelled continuing education. Its functional equivalent is established but fragmented across Post-School Education and Training, or PSET, government professional development, provider-led courses and workplace learning. The Samoa Qualifications Authority, created under the Samoa Qualifications Authority Act 2010, coordinates national quality assurance, provider registration, programme accreditation, the Samoa Qualifications Framework and recognition of non-formal learning. Its Career Advisory Service can help compare providers, study choices and learning pathways. A Record of Achievement can document quality-assured formal and non-formal learning, while Recognition of Prior Learning and Recognition of Current Competency may reduce entry requirements or course workload when the provider accepts existing skills and evidence. National University of Samoa is the main provider for organised professional and continuing education. Its Oloamanu Centre for Professional Development and Continuing Education serves NUS staff, PSET providers, government ministries, private companies and civil-society organisations. It offers more than 43 SQA-recognised, fee-paying courses, including training and assessment, basic computing, research skills, workplace assessment, KAIZEN, course design, professional report writing, resource development, transactional communication, leadership, customer service, tourism, financial management and risk management. The centre also develops tailor-made short courses after a training-needs assessment. Course demand is commonly assessed from October to February for the financial year beginning in July, and announcements may appear in local print media and on the NUS website. Formal options include the NUS Certificate IV in Adult Teaching and Certificate in Training and Assessment. They support people who train or assess learners in workplaces, communities or other education settings. Entry can require a tertiary qualification at Level 2 or a recognised PSET qualification, or more than two years of relevant trainer or educator experience. Applicants without a formal qualification may instead face a diagnostic test, interview, reference checks, evidence of non-formal learning or an institutional suitability decision. These programmes may be full-time or part-time, face-to-face or delivered through Open Distance Learning, and the stated minimum duration is 10 weeks. Shorter micro-credentials provide focused upskilling or reskilling through smaller units drawn from formal NUS courses. They can take less time and require less sustained study than a full qualification. Depending on the programme, a micro-credential may connect to a qualification pathway, study financing or a digital badge. Samoa's Education Sector Plan 2025–2030 identifies micro-credential quality assurance as a policy priority, but it does not create one universal catalogue or one national fee schedule. Non-Formal Learning, or NFL, covers short courses that do not necessarily carry academic credit. SQA-recognised Oloamanu courses can serve public, private-sector and civil-society workers. The Office of the Public Service Commission, through its Human Resource Development Division, provides training, staff development and scholarships for public servants; access depends on the ministry, programme and available resources. The Manaaki In-Country Training Scholarship has supported nine micro-credential courses for registered PSET trainers in Upolu and Savai'i. The Certificate I in Preliminary Technical Vocational Education and Training offers a second-chance entry option for early school leavers, unemployed young people and adults. It normally requires Year 10 English and mathematics. Full-time study takes one year over two semesters; part-time study can extend to six semesters, with face-to-face, Open Distance Learning or blended delivery and possible progression to Level 1 technical and vocational education and training. Fees for NUS and OCPDCE formal or recognised courses apply, but current verified primary sources do not establish one standard fee. NFL and tailor-made course costs depend on the course and commissioning organisation. Scholarships, technical and vocational education and training scholarships through NUS, financial support and the PSET Support Fund may assist vulnerable learners under the Education Sector Plan, but Samoa has no general statutory entitlement to free continuing education or employer-funded participation. Access also varies with course availability, fees, digital connectivity and travel between Upolu and Savai'i. Open Distance Learning can widen access, but it does not remove every technology or support requirement. A certificate or attendance record has stronger recognition when the provider is registered with SQA or the learning activity is SQA-recognised. Admission, attendance, assessment and evidence requirements remain course-specific. Samoa has no single national continuing professional development duty for every occupation. A learner should therefore verify the provider, recognition status, entry evidence, delivery method, duration, total fee, assessment and progression value before enrolling.
Upskilling in Samoa
Upskilling in Samoa develops existing knowledge and practical skills through formal courses, short non-formal courses, workplace training and self-directed learning. The main public framework sits within Post-School Education and Training, with the Samoa Qualifications Authority regulating providers, qualifications, quality assurance and recognition. Options include National University of Samoa programmes, micro-credentials, Oloamanu Centre for Professional Development and Continuing Education courses, public-service training and employer or community programmes.
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